While most people were laying in their beds or just about to, Ron Hextall and the Flyers finalized an extension with Jordan Weal.
The deal is for two years with a $1.75 annual cap hit.
“It’s awesome,” Weal said. “They gave me a great chance last year to play with some great players and I think this is a great [team] that’s heading in the right direction. We have a lot of talent and skills, especially with some of the additions we’ve made. I’m just really excited to get back and start the year where we were finishing it.”
After dealing Brayden Schenn at the NHL Draft to St. Louis, the Flyers seemed to place more emphasis on bringing back Weal after seeing what the 25-year-old did in a limited role. He tallied 12 points over a 19-game stretch and finished strong in his last seven contests, posting four goals with three assists.
He also led all rookies with six goals in March.
He, along with the rest of the Flyers, are hoping that high level of play to end the year carries over into his likely bigger role.
“You take every game as it is,” Weal said. “That’s what I was trying to do last year … you can’t really put too much expectation and hype into anything right off the bat, you have to take it as it is.”
There’s a lot of question marks surrounding the Flyers’ four lines and how they’ll unfold. With Weal back in the mix, he’ll likely have a good shot at earning a spot on the top line alongside Claude Giroux all while seeing a role on the power play.
